Blue’s gaze softened, but his tone remained firm. "Mia, talk to me. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

I shrugged, refusing to meet his eyes. "It’s not a big deal. I just needed to stay awake to train and think straight. That’s all."

Blue raised an eyebrow and held up the bag of pills Lance had thrown to him. "Not a big deal? Mia, these aren’t candies. Some of these could really hurt you if you take too many—or if you don’t actually need them. You’re lucky we caught this before it got worse."

I crossed my arms, still not looking at him. "You’re all overreacting. I’m fine."

Blue let out a slow breath, clearly trying to keep his cool. "You’re not fine, kid. Your heart’s racing like you just ran a marathon, and you’ve got bags under your eyes big enough to carry all your Pokéballs. You’re wearing yourself out for no good reason."

I glared at him. "I had a reason! I wanted to be ready for the Elite Four! I didn’t want to let anyone down!"

Blue’s expression softened, and he crouched lower so he was at eye level with me. "Mia, listen to me. You’ve got nothing to prove to anyone. Not to me, not to Lance, not to Oak, and definitely not to the Elite Four. You’ve already done amazing things, and nobody expects you to be perfect. We just want you to be okay."

I looked away, my voice quieter now. "But what if I mess up? What if I’m not good enough?"

Blue reached out and gently ruffled my hair, a rare moment of affection from him. "Kid, you’re already more than good enough. You’ve got guts, heart, and a whole lot of spunk. That’s what makes you a great trainer—not some pills."

I bit my lip, feeling tears sting my eyes. "I just… I didn’t want to fail."

Blue sighed, pulling me into a quick, awkward hug. "Failing’s part of the journey, Mia. Nobody wins every time. Not me, not Red, not even Gramps. But we learn, and we get better. That’s what matters."

I sniffled, wiping my eyes. "So… you’re not mad?"

He smirked, standing up and crossing his arms. "I’m annoyed you scared everyone, but I’m not mad. Just don’t do it again, okay? No more mystery pills, no matter how tired you are."

I nodded slowly. "Okay. No more pills. I promise."

Blue grinned, ruffling my hair again. "That’s my girl. Now, let’s get you some actual rest before you collapse, huh?"

As he helped me up, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I didn’t have to carry all the pressure on my own. And if Blue believed in me, maybe I could believe in myself too.